In Venezuela a party without tequeños is not a party. This delicious appetizer is “the soul of the Venezuelan parties”. For this reason, they are among the representatives of the national gastronomy.
The tequeño is a canapé or fried appetizer, whose appearance is cylindrical. In its traditional form, it contains a semi-hard cheese filling, in the form of a bar. The dough for this appetizer is very similar to puff pastry and traditionally its base ingredient is wheat.
Thanks to the concern of many food lovers, natives of Venezuela, many versions of tequeño have emerged. There are versions that deal with the dough by varying its key ingredient: banana, cassava, sweet potato, ocumo, potato, among others. You can also vary the type of dough with alternatives to puff pastry. In others the filling varies: chocolate, jams, ham and cheese, ham and others. While some focus on how to cook them by making homemade tequeños baked instead of fried.
This article shares this recipe with you, hoping you enjoy this Caribbean delicacy. Because cooking is a way of traveling, and this time we bring you some exquisite sweet potato and cheese tequeños. A creative version that… You can’t miss it!
These Venezuelan tequeños represent an ideal alternative for people who are allergic to gluten and anyone who wants to try other flavors.
Ingredients to make Sweet Potato Tequeños:
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 1½ cups cornstarch (187½ grams)
- 1 egg
- 1 pinch of salt
- 300 grams of white cheese
How to make Sweet Potato Tequeños:
Pour enough water into a saucepan to cover the sweet potatoes and cook them for our homemade tequeños recipe. Use a colander and drain the tubers well. Remove the shells under the tap, this will be easier. Mash the sweet potatoes very well until you create a puree with the help of a food mill or manually.
Use the puree to create a dough for homemade tequeños. Make a hole in the center of the puree and pour in the egg and cornstarch. Knead until you create a homogeneous dough.
Trick: The dough should not stick or crack.
Create a large ball and from it create several small balls to form the sweet potato tequeños. Use a clean bag and cut it in half. Place it on the work table surface. Sprinkle a little cornstarch, so you can stretch the dough for homemade tequeños more easily. Form a kind of braid.
Flatten the braid with a bottle, roller, or your bare hands. Cut a rectangle with a knife. Collect the remaining dough and reserve, then you will unite it with the rest that remains to be kneaded. Place a piece of cheese on one end of the rectangle of dough but leave enough space between the edge and the cheese. Roll the sweet potato tequeños carefully and shape the ends with your fingers. Don’t leave holes. The dough is very soft and moldable so it will allow you to model it like a plasticize. If you leave holes, the cheese will leak out during cooking.
Place a skillet with oil over medium heat. When the oil reaches a high temperature, add the sweet potato tequeños. Let them cook for 3-5 minutes on each side. Put on the music! here I bring the sweet potato tequeños. If you wish, you can accompany them with a dip that combines with the flavor of the cheese, although the original tequeño is eaten alone.
Origin of Venezuelan tequeños and sweet potato properties:
Why tequeños? This particular name has its possible origin in the Venezuelan city called Los Teques. According to some speculations, those born in Los Teques are called “tequeños” and perhaps for this reason it is the name of the canapé.
The sweet potato or sweet potato is a tuber with a prostrate or twining stem, somewhat succulent but also thin and herbaceous. This vegetable has been cultivated for approximately 8,000 years ago, in South America.
The sweet potato is characterized by a sweet flavor, as it is a tuber rich in healthy sugars. Its flavor is due to the sucrose, glucose and fructose it has. The purple pulp sweet potato is ideal for making juices and food bleaches. This tuber is fully usable, since even its residues contain nutritional supplements and sources of fiber.
